Microsoft’s re-imagined OS is only half the equation

As has been reported exhaustively by now, Windows 8 can be a very unsettling experience for longtime Windows users. It’s like going to visit your parents and finding dad decked out in drag. The person you’ve known for so long is still there, but a new, unexpected element to his persona has you flummoxed and fumbling for how to behave.

Note: This feature originally appeared in the January 2013 issue of the magazine.

The next tablet from Acer could be ultra cheap.

We have a couple of rumors to report on. The first is that Acer is prepping an Iconia A1-810 tablet model to compete with Apple's iPad mini device, our sister site TechRadar reports. It's a 7.9-inch slate with a 1024x768 resolution, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 5MP rear-facing camera, and 0.3MP front-facing camera all wrapped in Google's Android 4.2 Jelly Bean platform. The biggest surprise, however, could be the price.

The new B6 and V6 monitors come in a wide variety of sizes.

Acer is attempting to offer a little something for everyone in announcing its new B6 and V6 Series of LED-backlit monitors. These displays range in size from just 17-inches all the way up to 27 inches, all of which sport a slimmer chassis than the prior generation of monitors, Acers says. They also come in a variety of panel types, including in-plane switching (IPS), vertical alignment (VA) and twisted nematic (TN).

Did the Easter Bunny forget to line your basket with PC parts this year? Take matters into your hands and save a little jingle while doing it, starting with today's top deal. It's for an Intel Core i5 3570K Ivy Bridge processor clocked at 3.4GHz and marked down to $220 with free shipping (normally $230 -- additional $10 Newegg promotional gift card with purchase).

For other deals that include Samsung 840 Series SSD and Asus GeForce GTX 660 graphics card, click the "Read More"button.

Projector pricing has fallen sharply in the past 12 months.

For some people, investing in a projector is a no-brainer, now that prices are comparable to LED televisions. For example, Acer's new H5370BD runs $549, beams images up to 300 inches, supports 720p HD, and is 3D ready, to name a few of the features. If you have a mancave (or womancave) that's suitable for a projector, it might make more sense than plunking down the same amount of cash for a 42-inch LED TV, which is about what you can get on that budget (sales notwithstanding).

After delaying the launch of a Windows RT tablet, Acer is now ready to make the jump.

Acer has been outspokenly critical of Microsoft's decision to launch its own brand Windows 8/RT hardware, but that isn't the only reason the OEM has yet to release a Windows RT tablet of its own. The Taiwanese computer maker decided it was best to take a wait-and-see approach, allowing Microsoft to be the guinea pig. Apparently satisfied with what it saw, Acer says it plans to release a Windows RT tablet of its own sometime later this year.

Acer on Thursday announced that it's H6510BD projector for displaying 3D movies and games is now available in the United States. The H6510BD features Full HD 1080p support and converts 2D content passed through the HDMI port to 3D on-the-fly without any extra software. It also supports all the popular 3D technologies, including Blu-ray 3D, DLP 3D, and Nvidia 3DTV Play.

Acer's new monitors are available in 21.5-inch and 23-inch models.

Acer on Tuesday announced that it is now offering its H6 Series LED-backlit displays to consumers in the U.S. The big feature Acer is pimping is "zero frame construction," which the company says adds to the aesthetics, especially when using multiple monitors simultaneously, including video walls. Acer's new monitors also feature IPS panels and Full HD 1080p resolution support.

Cross-platform support for AcerCloud means you can move files seamlessly between PC and mobile.

Acer on Monday announced cross-platform support for AcerCloud, the company's cloud-based file sharing and media management service that's free to use. Up to this point, AcerCloud only supported Windows-based PCs, but it now adds Android and iOS to the fold, giving users an easy way to move and manage files on multiple platforms via Wi-Fi or cellular.